There's Something There
by PercyxPercabethx15
Summary: Annabeth had way too many problems. Her parents were getting a divorce, and he seemed to be falling for the woman he'd cheated on her mother with. Luke, one of her oldest friends, suddenly wants nothing to do with her, and Thalia and Jason's cousin Percy, whom she didn't know if she liked or hated, was either her rock or a thorn in her side. Annabeth's POV. No demigods all mortal
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Hey, watch out!" I yelled, then groaned as my text books fell out of my arms and onto the floor. The two boys who'd ran past me dodged and weaved through the crowd, racing each other with sly grins on their faces.

Unfortunately, I knew them. Jason was my best friend Thalia's little brother, though they didn't look much alike. While they shared the same trait of striking lightning blue eyes, Thalia had short, spiky black hair while Jason had short, cropped style blonde hair. Thalia also happened to be more laid back, while Jason had a slight tendency to over-worry sometimes. Not that I minded. Someone had to make sure Thalia stayed out of trouble.

Leo was slightly different. With his curly brown hair and elvish features, he looked like a latino elf. His mother passed away when he was five, and his dad abandoned him and his mother before he was born, so he lives with his half-brother Charlie. Leo was the joker of the group. If you needed a good laugh, Leo was your man. I lost track of the amount of times he's been suspended within the last few years of high school. We were seniors now, but the school year had just started. I knew it was only a matter of time. A good example being now, racing Jason through the halls and passing outraged teachers who glared at them.

"Valdez!" I heard a familiar voice scream. "Grace!"

Uh oh, I thought, bending over to pick up my books. They should've known better than to run past Coach Hedge, although they probably didn't see him. Hedge was so short his head barely passed Leo's shoulders, and Leo wasn't even that tall compared to Jason.

Half of the time that Leo was caught and then suspended was because of Hedge. We often joked that the majority of the coach's age lines comes from constantly having to be on Leo's rear.

Coach Hedge, a short, stout looking man with a permanent scowl etched into his features, grabbed the back of Leo's neck to stop him. Then he reached with his other hand to stop Jason from escaping. "Just what do you two think you're doing?"

"Nothing," they said in unison.

"Nothing, eh?" Hedge's small dark eyes glared at them. "You two sure know how to start off a school year, don't you? Tell you what, since i'm feeling generous today, the both of you will only serve two days of detention instead of four. Starting today. Got it?"

Jason and Leo both started talking at the same time.

"But Coach! You can't do that!"

"That's totally unfair! I have basketball practice today!"

"Suck it up, cupcakes." Hedge tucked his clipboard under his arm and straightened, as if trying to make himself seem taller than them, which was impossible. "I'll see both of you today at four sharp." He turned and walked away, leaving Leo and Jason to glare at his back.

I rolled my eyes. "It was completely moronic to think you could get away with running down a hallway packed full of teachers, especially Hedge."

Jason stuck his tongue out at me, which was totally a Thalia thing to do. Maybe they weren't alike in looks but they were definitely similar in personality. Although not as much as she and Percy were...

I shook my head, stopping that thought as quickly as it had come. I haven't seen Thalia's cousin in years. More than likely he's living halfway across the world right now, either in Japan or Greece or somewhere amazing. He chose to leave New York and travel with his dad when he was twelve. As far as I knew, and by what Thalia told me, he pops his head in from time to time to see his mother Sally who still lives here in New York with her husband Paul, aka...my english teacher.

Paul was really cool. He also knew a lot about how to work with kids with ADHD and dyslexia, like me, which was why I asked to be in his class for my senior year. Being a straight A student, the school could hardly say no to me. Having dyslexia was hard enough, but Paul stayed with me numerous times after school tutoring me. With his help, and with the help of my Latin teacher Mr. Brunner, I was able to keep my grades from slipping.

"Annabeth?" Leo waved his hand in front of my face, grinning. He had a very mischievous smile, it was no wonder teachers and students alike distrusted him. "Woo hoo, earth to blonde. Come back to reality, Princess. We need you to help us figure out how we're gonna get out of detention."

I scoffed. "Excuse me? You got yourselves into detention, now you have to get yourselves out."

"Aw come on, Annabeth," Jason groaned. "I can't miss practice, I've been made team captain."

I just stuck my tongue out at him.

Jason opened his mouth to reply, but glanced at something over my shoulder and stopped. His jaw dropped. "No way."

"What?" I asked, turning.

"What's up, guys." Thalia grinned. Her spiked hair was pulled back today, her black on black clothing and punk rock look standing out from the rest of the crowd. Even though we had uniforms, the school handbook didn't say we had to be specific. I usually just wore my white polo and khakis. Thalia added chunky black bracelets and skull earrings with her attire. To top it off she rocked combat boots and dark eyeliner.

It was when my assessment of Thalia's outfit was over that I realized she wasn't alone. A guy with dark hair and light green eyes stood beside her. It took me a moment to realize who I was looking at, but Jason beat me to it. Leo just looked confused. He didn't know this familiar stranger like Jason, Thalia and I did. How odd that I had been thinking of him only a moment ago, and now he was standing right in front of me.

"Percy?" Jason gasped.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Percy grinned. "Hey, guys. Long time no see."

"Yeah no kidding," Jason scoffed, walking forward. He and Percy hugged, a quick guy embrace before letting go.

Thalia threw an arm around her cousin. "Seaweed Brain here is staying with us for his senior year."

Jason's eyes lit up. "Really? That's awesome, dude!"

Percy shrugged. "Figured my last year of high school should be spent here with you guys." Then he turned to me.

"Hey, Annabeth." He gave me a crooked smile. Thalia smirked. I was only slightly shocked. I'd hung out with Percy because he was with Thalia and Jason. I wasn't expecting him to remember me, let alone my name. All of the memories I had of us were when we were all together as a group. The first and only time I'd ever been alone with Percy was the night he'd told us he was leaving with his dad in a few days time.

"Hey, Percy," I replied. We didn't hug, though. Percy and I weren't as close as he and Thalia and Jason were, but I still considered him a friend. I remember that night when the power had gone out. I was spending the night over at the Graces' house...

...

"Hey, quit playing with the candles, idiot. You'll blow them out," Thalia told her brother. Jason, who was ten at the time, didn't listen. He continued to blow on the flame, only stopping when it was close to extinguishing and letting it relight before blowing on it once more.

Thalia sighed and rolled her eyes. "Little brothers."

Percy and I laughed. We were sitting close together on the family couch, each of us holding a candle. The thunder suddenly boomed, making the house shake. Jason frowned. He hated thunderstorms almost as much as he hated the dark, and since his and Thalia's parents were out for the night that left Thalia to watch him. She invited Percy and me over to help entertain him.

Percy stood. "I'll get more lights," he said. "Annabeth, want to help me?"

"Sure," I said, shocked. Why would Percy need help getting candles? Was this just an excuse to get me alone? Regardless of his intentions, I followed him into the kitchen to where I knew the Graces' kept extra flashlights and candles. Instead of searching, however, Percy just sighed and leaned against the counter.

"You okay?" I asked. He suddenly looked pale and weak, as if all the energy just drained out of him.

He turned around, offering a weak smile. "Yeah, of course. Never better."

I took a few cautious steps forward. I didn't know Percy well, but I knew him enough to be able to tell when something was wrong. "What's up? You can tell me."

Suddenly he couldn't meet my eyes. He stared at the floor instead. He didn't say anything at first, so I waited patiently for him to explain. "I don't know how to tell them. Jason and Thalia. I've been trying all week, but it's so hard, you know?"

I really didn't. It seemed like Percy was rambling, but I nodded along silently for him to continue.

"I wanted to tell them, but they're the closest thing I have to siblings. My parents divorced before I was even born and for all I know, I could have ten half brothers or sisters from my dad and not even know it. We aren't close."

I shifted my weight from foot to foot, my ADHD making it impossible for me to stand still. "So...you're trying to tell them what exactly? That you found out you have real siblings?"

Percy finally met my eyes. "They are my siblings. As far as I'm concerned, anyway. Close enough. No, I'm trying to get around to telling them that I'm leaving. With my dad."

"Leaving?" I gaped at him. "With your dad? Where are you going?"

"I don't know." Percy's exhausted expression uplifted. "But it'll be great, I'm sure. He travels all over the world, sees amazing things. And he wants me to go with him."

Then I got it. Percy simply couldn't pass up an amazing opportunity like this, but was torn because he didn't want to leave Jason and Thalia. They were more than his cousins, their bond was airtight, and it was almost unbearable for him to just pack up and leave them. I put my hand on his. "You know they'll still love you regardless of what you decide."

"I know." Percy chuckled darkly. "Thalia will hold it against me if I left, or knock me upside the head and call me an idiot if I stay. It's a lose-lose."

I laughed with him, and he squeezed my fingers. "Tell you what," I told him. "I'll hold her down, and then you tell them you're leaving. That way you'll have a chance to run and hide."

"Deal."

...

I jerked back to the present, back to the eighteen year-old Percy standing in front of me. He certainly grew up in the few years since I saw him last. His dark hair was longer, shaggy, and he was tan with a lean body. I'd thought he was pretty cute when we were twelve, but now he could definitely be considered good looking. When he lifted his arm to embrace Jason I noticed a tattoo peaking out from the edge of his sleeve.

"Well, I'll leave you guys to catch up. I've got to meet up with Mr. Brunner," I told them. They should have the chance to catch up, and I didn't want to intrude on their family moment. Giving them a quick wave I headed down the hallway to my mentor's classroom. I found him sitting in his wheelchair by the window reading a book.

I knocked on the door frame. "Chiron?" I was the only one he allowed to call him by his first name. Growing up, my parents weren't around much. They still aren't. My father was as much of a workaholic as my mother. When they weren't working, they were fighting. Always behind closed doors, so I would't overhear, but I knew. I always knew.

I almost preferred when they were working, so at least they wouldn't be stuck in the house together. I knew it was for my sake and keeping the family together that they didn't divorce, although I was afraid of what would happen when I eventually went to college and moved out of the house. My mother and Chiron worked together for a couple of years, and acted as my babysitter when my parents were out of town on business trips.

Chiron was my mentor, my guide. He taught me how to read, how to ride my bike, how to drive. He was my second father, and I was forever grateful that he took me in. He never once yelled at me or judged me because of my ADHD and dyslexia. Sometimes my father would frown when I tried to read out loud to him. He'd get impatient and take the book from me, finishing so I wouldn't have to. With Chiron, he would sit there sometimes for hours while I struggled to pronounce a proper sentence, only gently correcting me if I messed up.

He was older now, though, and couldn't walk around as much as he used to because of his bad hips and knees. Most days he just stayed in his wheelchair.

"Come in, dear." Chiron smiled, setting his book down in his lap. He'd gotten a job as a teacher here at Goode High after he'd retired from working with my mother. He didn't like being bored and loved Roman and Greek mythology, so he settled for teaching kids Latin.

"What are you doing here so early? Classes haven't even started yet."

"I can't come in and visit my old babysitter?" I pulled a chair to where he was sitting and plopped myself down across from him, wringing my hands.

Chiron noticed. He frowned and leaned forward, his expression turning serious. "What's the matter, child? Normally you're not this nervous."

"Nothing's-" I started, but Chiron promptly cut me off.

"Something is wrong. I always know. Don't forget, I helped your parents raise you, Annabeth."

I let out a short, breathy laugh. Of course not. I always came to Chiron when I needed help, even before I knew it myself. That was what I loved most about Chiron.

"Nothing's wrong. Actually, things are getting better. I guess it's...it's about Percy," I manage to stutter out. "About him coming back." There, I said it. The weight I hadn't realized was on my chest suddenly lifted, and I felt instantly better.

"Percy?" Chiron's eyebrows knitted together. "Percy Jackson? Thalia and Jason's cousin?"

I nodded. "Yes. Percy and I were never close, not really. So I don't know why I feel...relieved. Why do I feel relieved?"

Chiron looked into my eyes, as serious as any parent speaking with their child. "I don't know. Tell me why."

"I don't know either," I said impatiently. I hated it when Chiron turned therapist on me. "Maybe because now Jason and Thalia got their brother back, because..." I stared out the window, my thoughts far away. "Because it's nice to see their family come back together. Mr. and Mrs. Grace loved him, too. It wasn't the same without Percy around. I don't know. I suppose it's just me being ridiculous. Or jealous."

"Well you do have a tendency to be over ridiculous," Chiron agreed, chuckling.

I laughed with him. "I know. But really, I just wanted to check up on you. You know I worry about you. It seems as though you've been having so many problems with your health lately..." I trailed off, thinking back to the stroke he'd had two months ago. I'd laid next to his bed and cried until I fell asleep.

Chiron shook his head and sighed. "I know child. But when it is my time it is my time. I have lived a full wonderful life. I can die in peace knowing I've achieved some goodness in the world."

The warning bell rang. 8:25. Time for first period.

"Is it that time already?" Chiron checked his watch. "Amazing how quickly time flies. You should head off to class, dear. Can't have you late."

I stood, putting my chair back. "See you, Chiron. And thanks for listening."

"Always, child. Always."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

My first thought was: why is it so foggy in here?

My second was, why am I in a ball gown?

I was standing in the middle of what seemed to be a ball room, surrounded by fog. I spun in a circle, my dress slapping my shoes-high heels? I never wore high heels! Not unless my mother was throwing a party, or I was going to a special occasion.

I couldn't see, the fog was everywhere. If there were walls, I couldn't tell. I was standing in the middle of a room. The only parts I could see were the ceiling and the floor. Above me was a gorgeous but huge chandelier. If that thing fell, it would crush me flat. The entire ceiling was painted with gods and goddesses, all in a circle: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, Athena (whom my mother was named after and one of my personal favorites from Greek mythology), Dionysus, Hestia, Hera, Aphrodite, Ares, Hephaestus, and the twin archers Apollo and Artemis. A satyr was feeding Dionysus a grape while Zeus was looking down, lightning bolt in hand, as if deciding which puny mortal he were going to vaporize next, just for fun. I could see him doing that.

"Where am I?" I called. My voice echoed. Lifting the skirts of my dress I started forward, hoping to just walk through the fog and find a door, but unfortunately, that didn't happen. When I reached my fingers out they connected to a solid wall. I frowned. Okay, can't leave that way. I turned-and stopped, cocking my head to the side to listen.

How long has that music been playing? Maybe my distracted mind just missed it, tuning it out, but I heard it now. It wasn't slow, but it wasn't fast, either. It was a waltz. I didn't realize what was happening, but the song was hypnotizing. It was the kind of music to stop you in your tracks and make you just stand there and listen to the love and sadness pouring from the sound, spilling out and seeping down into the very core of your soul. I didn't try to fight it, I just closed my eyes, letting myself sway to the music. I giggled to myself. Good thing I was alone. I must've looked totally ridiculous. One of my hands was holding my dress skirt, the other was suspended in midair, as if I were holding someone's hand. I laughed again.

Oh well, I thought. At least I was only embarrassing to myself and no one else. If Thalia had been here she would've danced with me. Or Jason, or Leo. Even Percy, or my old time friend Luke. If I tried I could almost actually feel his warm strong hand in mine.

Impossible, unfortunately. Luke is in Westport, Connecticut. He lives there with his parents. Or rather, his dad. His mother...well...it was a long story.

Either way, I still missed him terribly. Even though he was seven years older than me, growing up, there were times when I thought I may have loved him as more than a friend. He hasn't visited me in so long, I still wasn't sure of my feelings.

Suddenly I felt someone squeeze my hand, the one suspended in the air, and my eyes shot open. My thoughts were trained so hard on Luke I hadn't noticed that someone had joined my one-person dance party while I was off in la-la land.

Sea green eyes stared at me, kind and gentle. "You look like you need a friend." He grinned, wrapping his other hand around my waist and gently pulling our bodies together. I didn't know what to say. Looking around me, there were people everywhere, twirling around us, laughing and enjoying the party. The once empty room was now full and alive. The music changed to something slower, softer. Even a little sad. And maybe a little bit hopeful, too.

"Hopeful," Percy said, as if reading my thoughts. His fingers came up to gently stroke the side of my cheek. He sighed. "Always hoping."

And then I woke up.

Sitting up in bed, I groaned, looking at my alarm clock. Four o' clock in the morning. I had two more hours and my body decides to wake up now? I sat there for a moment, groggy and confused. It felt like I'd been in another time, another life, and suddenly got jerked back to reality with a sharp slap to the face. I knew I'd been dreaming before I woke up, but it was slowly drifting away. I couldn't even remember who'd been in it or what it was about. Those were the worst, especially if it was a good dream. the harder I tried to hang on the more it slipped away. Oh well. Maybe it would come back to me later.

To pass the time, since I knew I wouldn't be going back to sleep anytime soon, I sat at my desk, pulling my "secret project," as dad liked to call it, out of my drawer. It actually wasn't a secret, I'd just never shown it to my parents. The one time I tried, my mother, who was on the phone at the time, glanced at the sheets I held out to her and mouthed 'later, sweetheart.' I didn't bother going back later, because I knew she'd already forgotten.

It was mostly sketches, ideas and plans for the place I wanted to create. If I could, I would build my own city. I'd visited the Parthenon when I was sixteen, going with my mother on a business trip to Athens, and ever since then I'd been obsessed with creating something similar. I especially loved it because it was a temple to Athena, their patron goddess. It was a historical monument, permanent. That was what I wanted. Something that would stand tall and proud for ages and ages to come. It was a big dream, but I wouldn't give up. If possible, I'd pass down the ideas and notes to my children, and their children. Call me crazy, but I often dreamed of tearing down New York and rebuilding the entire city, beautiful and new.

After a while I finally put my stuff away and stood, stretching. Time for a shower. I grabbed my clothes and headed to the bathroom. Looking at my phone, I saw that I had three new messages. The first was from Thalia.

 _ **Hey, just wanted to let you know that my feet stink today. See you at school!**_

I rolled my eyes. Thalia's stinking feet were no surprise. They stunk every day. She knew good and well I wouldn't stay over at her house unless she was wearing socks. Her message wasn't all that surprising either. Thalia had a knack for her random moments of weirdness. Whatever she was thinking, or whatever happened to pop into her head at the time, she said out loud. Her honesty wasn't exactly appreciated by some, but she didn't care. She thrived at being different, and I loved her for it.

Checking my next message, I found a short but sweet message from my oldest friend.

 _ **Hey beautiful, hope you're doing alright. Hope to see you soon. -Luke**_

My heart fluttered, and I swallowed. Don't get a big head, I told myself. He's called you that forever now, and today is no different. But what did he mean by see you soon?

The last message was from an unknown number.

 _ **Help. I'd forgotten how badly Thalia's feet stunk. I think I'd prefer Jason's old gym locker. -Percy**_

I laughed out loud, then quickly covered my mouth with my hand, not wanting to wake my parents.

"Glad to have you back, Seaweed Brain," I muttered, grinning.

I turned the water on, letting the water heat up before undressing and stepping in. Had I known how crazy my day was about to become, I would have stayed at home in bed.

...

Thalia found me at my locker.

"Morning," she greeted cheerfully. Then she saw my face, and she frowned, immediately becoming concerned. "Annabeth, what's wrong?"

I didn't answer her at first. I grabbed a mirror, checking myself in the reflection. Staring back at me were red puffy eyes from crying, my hair a tangled mess. "Can I borrow a brush?" I asked. Wordlessly she fished in her bag for her brush and handed it to me. I yanked it through my hair, the tangles making me wince. There probably wasn't anything I could do for my puffy eyes, unfortuately. I handed Thalia back the brush and closed my locker, maybe with a little more force than neccessary. Thalia waited, giving me a minute to speak, which I appreciated. I leaned my head back against my locker.

"My parents are getting a divorce," I finally said. "And it's my fault."

Thalia gaped. "Really? I mean, I know they've been rocky for ages now, but Annabeth, that's not your fault."

"He cheated on her, Thalia." A tear rolled down my cheek. "And I caught him. He told me not to say anything because he didn't want to tear our family apart. I never told anyone, not even Luke."

"Oh, Annabeth." She stepped forward and hugged me. I clung to her tightly. We stood there for a moment, then she grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to look her in the eye. "Listen to me, okay? That is not your fault. Your dad made a mistake. But remember, these are your parents. They will always love you, no matter what. It was wrong of him to ask you to hide it, but he made his bed, so now he has to lay in it. Maybe they'll be happier apart."

"Maybe," I said halfheartedly. "Actually...I know they will. Mom's packing up her stuff now. She didn't want me to move, since this is my last year of high school. She said she was going to stay close, though." My thoughts traveled back to this morning.

It was mostly a blur, a lot of things were happening at once. Dad was sitting at the table with his head in his hands. Mom was pacing the length of the kitchen. He was saying sorry over and over again, but mom shook her head. Finally she left the room, and dad started crying. That was when I started crying, too. After a while dad left for work, but mom stayed home to pack. I wanted to go with her, but she told me to stay with my dad and finish high school. She was going to visit my older brother Malcolm, and she'd be back in two weeks. I missed her already.

"Will you be okay today?" Thalia asked gently.

I nodded, wiping off the remaining tears on my cheeks. "I think so. I-"

"Thalia! Annabeth!"

We turned. Jason and Percy were running toward us at full speed. They stopped, huffing. They'd been running pretty hard and fast. They both looked pale and shaken. Immediately I knew something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" I gripped Percy's arm. "Percy? What happened?"

Percy was still gasping for air, but eventually he swallowed and said, "Brunner...classroom..."

"What?" Thalia looked at Jason.

"Mr. Brunner had a heart attack," Jason told us. "The ambulance is here. Hurry!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The four hours I spent in the waiting room were the longest four hours of my life. Thalia, Jason, Percy and my mom were sitting with me, but no one was talking. I was glad. I didn't want to listen to anyone right now. I sat hunched in the sofa chair facing the door so that I could see when the doctor returned to give us the news. I couldn't even cry anymore. I was too numb.

I saw Percy stand up in my peripheral vision to get a snack from the vending machine, but I kept my eyes on the door. I wanted the doctor to come in and tell us Chiron was going to be fine, that he could go home tomorrow and get plenty of rest, and go back to school to teach...

Something touched my shoulders, and I flinched before realizing it was Percy. He'd put his jacket over me.

"You're shivering," he noticed. I looked down at the goosebumps on my arms. I hadn't even registered the cold until now. I shuddered, pulling the jacket tighter around me.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." He started to return to his seat, but I stopped him.

"Percy, wait. Um, there's plenty of room here." I scooted to the side. The chair was probably big enough to fit both of us comfortably. Percy wasn't big or bulky. Now that he was beside me I didn't want him to leave. Suddenly the thought of being alone was terrifying, and the warmth of another person was comforting.

"Okay." Percy glanced nervously at my mother, who raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. He sat down beside me. It was a bit snug, but comfortable. I sighed, leaned my head back against Percy's shoulder, and continued to watch the door.

...

When the doctor finally came, his expression was unreadable. I knew how to read people fairly well though. His shoulders were slumped, and he wouldn't meet anyone's eyes. He had bad news.

Slowly, he closed the door behind him.

...

When the school heard the news, everyone cried. Chiron was loved by everyone. There wasn't a single student, teacher, or staff member alike who didn't care for and respect Chiron. Nearly a hundred people attended his funeral. Despite the heat from the remaining days of summer, there was the slightest breeze, a breath of fall, which was really sad. Chiron loved the fall.

What do I do, Chiron? I thought. I'd stayed behind long after everyone left, unable to comprehend this, unable to believe my second father was gone. It was too surreal. Tears escaped my eyes and flooded down my cheeks.

What do I do? _What do I do?_ Tell me! Tell me how to bring you back.

But he wasn't coming back. And I was alone.

I knelt beside the grave, placing my flower against the headstone. "Miss you," I whispered. I don't know how long I sat there for. I just let the tears fall until I couldn't cry any- more, staring at the boquets of flowers people had left. There were so many you couldn't see the pile of dirt underneath. It looked as if he'd been buried under a bed of roses, and I was okay with that. I wiped my cheeks and stood, giving the final resting place of my father, my mentor and my friend one last look before turning away and leaving.

...

 _(Three months later)_

"Percy?"

"Hmm?"

"What do you see?"

"Um...stars?"

I rolled my eyes. "Beyond the stars, Seaweed Brain."

Percy squinted at the night sky. "I don't see anything except the moon."

"I was talking about the constellations," I laughed. "But yeah, the moon is kind of hard to miss."

He gave me a weird look and rolled his eyes. "I can't see them. Who creates shapes out of stars anyway?"

I lightly smacked his arm. "Who thinks of seeing shapes in clouds? Look." I pointed up. "There's the Big Dipper."

"So you see a ladle?" he asked.

"It kind of looks like that, yeah," I laughed again. "Something you dip into a bowl of soup."

"So you look at the stars and think of soup?"

"Oh shut up."

We lay there in silence for a moment, staring at the sky. Since it was cold out we were bundled up in jackets and several blankets. We'd dragged two lounge chairs together, and the two of us were laying there side by side, snuggled up underneath the blankets with hot chocolate. When he'd called I had been finishing up my math homework. I was shocked when he invited me over, but accepted anyway. Now we were star gazing and sipping hot chocolate. I was thankful for the peace.

More than that, I was thankful to be out of the house. My parents were driving me crazy, and not for the reasons I thought they would. They were being so nice to each other, much more than they have in months. The only explanation I could think of is that they were happier this way. And if they were happy, I was happy. Although there was still one thing that bothered me, and that was the fact that my dad hasn't told my mom about the affair. And they were both so happy, I couldn't bring myself to shatter this truce between them.

That memory still haunts me. I was only a kid then, so of course I didn't really understand until later what an affair was. All I knew was that daddy was kissing someone who wasn't my mother. I wasn't allowed to tell mom, he'd said. It would cause our family to fall apart. Just keep quiet, and everything will go back to normal.

And I did. Looking back now though, I realized I could've prevented so many late night arguements when they thought I was fast asleep. I used to sleep with my pillow over my head to block out the noise.

I kept my head down like a good girl and pretended that we were a perfect little family. We fooled everyone. Except Chiron, of course. Chiron knew. And Luke. Sometimes I wonder-

"Annabeth?"

I blinked, jerking back to the present. Percy was leaning over me. "How can you sleep? It's freezing out here. Want to go inside?"

"Sleep?" I asked groggily. "Wow, I was so deep in thought, I didn't even realize I'd dozed off." I sat up, my body shivering at the exposure to the biting cold air.

Percy grabbed our mugs and stood. "Come on, Wise Girl. I'll drive you home."

"Kay." I grabbed his outstretched hand and stood. He really has grown up, I realized. And not just physically. I wasn't as alone as I thought. Between him, Thalia and the rest of the crazy crew we called friends.

We put away our cups and blankets. After saying good bye to his mother, who was holding the side of her swollen pregnant belly and wincing, we grabbed our coats.

"Are you sure you don't need anything?" Percy asked. Judging by Sally's continuous flinching, it appeared she was having contractions, and a lot of them. Her husband Paul was working late and wouldn't be home until later.

Sally waved her hand. "I'm fine, sweetheart. I'll know when to go to the hospital. She isn't going to pop out the ten minutes you're gone."

Percy still looked unsure, but grabbed the keys off the counter. "Call me if you need me, mom. Okay?"

"Okay, honey."

We left Sally and made our way to the elevator. Neither of us spoke, but I didn't mind. The silence was comfortable. I felt bad making Percy drive me home in this weather, but he was the one who'd picked me up and I didn't have the guts to tell my parents I'd been with a guy I barely knew.

I laughed quietly. If hanging out with strangers was the most rebellious thing I've ever done...I had nothing on Thalia. She's gotten into enough trouble for the both of us.

"Don't laugh," Percy suddenly said as we got into his step-dad's Prius. "The road is slippery."

"What?" I asked. Then I realized he must have slipped on the icy pavement as we were geting into the car and thought I'd laughed at him. "Oh, no, sorry. I wasn't laughing at you, I was thinking of Thalia."

Percy started the car. We sat for a few seconds to let the air warm up. "Thalia? Why?"

"Just of all the trouble she's gotten into over the years. I was thinking if hanging out with guys behind my parents' backs is the worst I've done then I really am lame."

Percy pulled out of the parking lot carefully, glaring ahead to see through the snowy frost covering the windshield. "So your parents don't know you're with me?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm eighteen. They give me freedom if I want it and don't question it. I don't think they even noticed I was gone."

Percy finally turned his eyes off the road and looked at me. "Annabeth, that's crazy. What if I were a stranger trying to kidnap you or something?"

"But you're not," I argued.

"But what if I was?"

"But you aren't." I crossed my arms. "So there."

Percy rolled his eyes and sighed. "Do you always have to be right?"

"No! Besides, after tonight, I think I can hardly call you a stranger."

Percy grinned. "Yeah?"

"Yep. So I was right."

Percy laughed. "You're impossible."

"Am not. You're insufferable-Percy look out!"

The car suddenly went spinning across the road. The world spun in bright colors, and everything was in slow motion as we headed straight for a tree. Percy cut the wheel in a panic but the car turned in the opposite direction. We jerked to the side; there was a gush of cold air. My head was throbbing, and when I touched my cheek, there was scarlet on my fingers.

"Percy?" I croaked, turning my head. At first Percy didn't respond to his name being called. I shook his shoulder gently. "Percy, wake up. Can you hear me?"

Then, finally, Percy stirred. His head turned in my direction. "Yeah," he said shakily. "I'm okay. Are you?"

"I think so." Everything had happened to fast to comprehend. One minute we were talking, the next sitting with the car wrapped around a tree. One instant, one moment and we could've died. I took a shaky breath.

Percy unbuckled his seatbelt. "I can't get out, my door is blocked. Are you hurt?"

I unbuckled my seatbelt. "No, here. Let me get out first, then crawl over to the passenger side." I gently pushed open the door and scooted out into the chilly air. Percy crawled out after me, and we stood there together. I gripped his arm.

People were rushing over to us, making sure we were okay. Someone wanted to call an ambulance, but I opted for calling my parents, seeing as neither of us were in life threatening danger and no one else got hurt. Thankfully we didn't hit anyone after we lost control. The manager of the local pizza joint nearby ushered us into the restaurant to rest while we waited. To my surprise, half a dozen people followed, insisting to stay and make sure we were alright. It was sweet to see how many people truly cared.

When my parents finally came, I gave them both an extra hug.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

We ended up having to go to the hospital anyway.

The right side of my temple had a nasty cut and needed stitches, so my parents rushed Percy and me into the car to take us to the emergency room. Using my mom's compact, I examined myself in the mirror. There was dried blood matted into my hair, and my head was throbbing, but other than that, I looked okay. I glanced sideways at Percy. He had a bloody nose from getting slammed into the steering wheel, but thankfully it didn't appear to be broken. He was holding a tissue against his face and staring out the window, but when he caught me looking at him in the reflection, he turned to me.

"What?" he asked, smirking. "I don't look that bad, do I?"

I socked him in the shoulder. "No, I was just making sure you were okay."

"No better or worse than you," he told me. "Man, everyone's going to freak out tomorrow at school. I bet the first thing Coach Hedge is going to say is 'Can you still swim though?'"

I laughed at the thought of tiny Coach Hedge towering over Percy and trying to look threatening. The only thing he could tower over were the flowers in the school's garden. And even they looked more threatening than him.

We arrived at the hospital, and after receiving five stitches to patch up my head and checking to make sure Percy's nose wasn't broken, my dad drove Percy home. When we finally got home, I felt exhausted. I turned to go to my room, but my mom held out a hand to stop me.

"Mind telling us who exactly that boy is?" she questioned. "That's twice now I've seen you two together. Are you a couple? When did you meet? How old is he?"

I groaned. "Mom. Stop. He's just a friend."

"Usually when she says 'just a friend' she means he's more than just a friend," dad chimed in from the kitchen.

"Dad!"

Mom sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "When you called tonight I was so afraid, Annabeth. I hadn't even realized you'd left. And on top of it with a boy we don't even know, who could've done something awful to you and we wouldn't have known until it was too late."

Oh, geez. Half of me felt embarrassed. Putting it that way, she was right. I suppose I should've said where I was going. The other half felt angry. Really? She was trying to mother me now, when I was about to go to college and start my life? She'd never been this over bearing before. But I pushed my anger down. It wasn't like I was a bad kid. It was very rare for my mother to have to punish me, let alone ground me. When she did, though, I know it was hard for her. For what it was worth, she raised my brother Malcolm and I fairly well.

"You're right," I said quietly. "I'm sorry, mom. Next time I'll say when I'm leaving the house. But really, you don't have to worry about Percy. He's Thalia's cousin, by the way."

"If he's related to Thalia then that makes me very worried," my mother said. I grinned.

...

The next day at school, it was just as bad as Percy said it was going to be. My mom wanted me to stay home and rest, but I wanted to go. I would probably have to miss gym, but I wasn't complaining. I could use the extra hour to catch up on homework. Plus, people were bound to ask about my stitches and the violently blue and purple bruises Percy was now wearing. So, with our heads held high, we patiently answered everyone's nonstop questions.

People's long string of questions only stopped when Mrs. Dodds, my math teacher, came and barked at everyone to get to class. Percy looked at her gratefully, until she told him off for causing a scene in the hallway.

"Evil old hag," Percy muttered as we walked, slinging his school bag over one shoulder. "She's had it in for me since I got here, I don't know why. She tries to make my life hell on purpose."

I rolled my eyes. "I doubt it, Percy. She can't just hate you for no good reason."

"Oh yeah? Didn't you notice that she didn't say anything to you? Just me. I mean, yeah I sleep in her class a lot, but can you blame me? The woman's got the personality of a dry wall." He glanced over his shoulder, as if expecting to see Mrs. Dodds standing behind him with fangs and claws exposed.

I laughed and shook my head. "Well try sucking up to her. Maybe you'll become her favorite student. I bet she'll even move you so that you're right next to her desk. You can even share equations."

Percy shuddered. "Very funny. The day I become friends with Dodds is the day Thalia becomes a nun."

"The day I become a nun, is the day you'd better run for the hills, Jackson," said a voice behind me. Thalia appeared at my side. "Now if you don't mind, I'm gonna borrow Annabeth for a bit." She grabbed my arm and steered me away, leaving Percy and headed in the direction of the cafeteria.

"Hungry?" I asked, but we didn't stop. We walked straight past our first class and down a long hallway leading to the football field outside. Thalia dragged me up to the bleachers, going all the way to the very top, ignoring the couple a few feet away that had their limbs interlocked and their faces glued together.

We sat, curious as to why we came all the way up here, when Thalia turned to me, her expression dead serious. Nothing could've prepared me for what came out of her mouth next.

"Are you and Percy sleeping together?"

I stared at her, unsure whether or not she was joking. "What?"

Thalia raised her eyebrows. "Oh my God, you are! Holy crap, Annabeth!" she said, a bit too loud. The couple broke apart and looked at us like we were insane.

"Shh, Thalia! Geez. No I am not sleeping with him!" I whispered. The couple resumed their make out session, once again gluing their faces together. Though I had the strangest feeling the girl was still listening.

I leaned in close to Thalia. "We talked, that's it. We sat outside with hot chocolate and talked. Then he started to drive me home, and he lost control of the car. We hit a tree, and ended up having to go to the hospital." I pushed my hair back and showed her my stitches.

Thalia eyed me. "So you're not sleeping with him?"

"No!"

"Are you dating him?"

"No, Thalia! We're friends, that's it." I couldn't believe I was having this conversation right now. She knew perfectly well I didn't just sleep around. That was so beyond unlike me I couldn't even comprehend how Thalia had come to that conclusion. Unless...

"Thals, he isn't telling people that we, like, did sleep together, is he?" But I knew the answer to that question even before Thalia shook her head.

"No, of course not. But I was just curious. You two never hung out without me before, like just the two of you, so I just wondered." She suddenly let out an evil grin. "Why is your face so red, huh?"

"Because you just asked me whether or not I slept with your cousin! How else was I supposed to react?"

"Disgusted, revolted. Take your pick." Thalia laughed, then turned serious again. "But really, I'm glad you guys are okay. I have something else to tell you, too. And this is huge, like, you can't say anything, not even to Percy. Okay? While you were off having steamy sessions in his car-" She dodged out the way as I swung my folder out to hit her, "-I found out we may have another family member. Three of them, actually."

I paused on my second attack with my folder. "Like, more brothers? Did your dad have an affair?"

Thalia shook her head again. "No! I mean cousin wise. Turns out my dad has a brother. He was away for a long time, but I don't know where. I heard all of this from hiding in the bathroom, so I don't know too much just yet. But I do know that he recently passed away, and the three kids don't have anyone else, so they've asked our dads to take them."

She paused for a moment. "I'm curious to what happened to their mother, but if they do come to stay with us, then that would be so cool! I hope there's at least one girl out of the three of them though. I love Percy and Jason, but it would be nice to have a girl in my corner, ya know?" She bumped my knee. "Except for you, of course. I know I got you for backup in case one of them needs a good beat down."

"If you beat them up leave me out of it," I told her. "My mother already thinks you're crazy enough as it is. But that's really cool, Thals. I hope they're nice."

The bell for first period rung, so we gathered up our things and left the bleachers. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the girl that was entwined with her boyfriend was staring at me. How odd. Before I could turn around and confront her, Thalia pulled me away.

When the school day finally ended, my head was throbbing. As soon as I got home I took some painkillers, ready to fall into bed. The spot where my stitches were itched, and it took all of my willpower not to scratch it. But as soon as I entered the kitchen, all thoughts of going to bed left my mind entirely. My bag dropped out my hand.

"Luke!"

Luke grinned, his arms held out. I immediately ran into them. He squeezed me hard, burying his face into my neck. "It's so good to see you!"

I pulled back to look at his face. His cheeks seemed hallow, and he had dark circles under his eyes as if he hasn't slept for weeks, but his blue eyes still shone, and when he smiled the white scar that lined his right cheek all but turned invisible. He was still the Luke I remembered, long before I met Thalia.

My parents were beaming. My mother had a look on her face that I couldn't fathom. Relief maybe? I'm sure dad was just as happy. He always considered Luke a son. More times than I could count, Luke and I would have sleep overs, turning my living room floor into a mountain of pillows and blankets. Long after my mom would tell us to go to bed, we'd hide under the covers with our flashlights and talk and snack on gummy worms until our bellies were full. Looking at Luke now, all of those happy memories came rushing back, and I couldn't contain my smile.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were in college to be an engineer."

Luke nodded in my parents' direction. "They asked me to come. I mean, I was planning on coming to see you anyway, but-" He stopped, frowning. "What is that?" He was staring at the right side of my head.

"What? Oh." I pulled my hair back to give him a better view of my stitches. "My battle scars. Got into a bit of a car accident. The roads were slippery and he lost control."

Luke wasn't smiling anymore. He pulled away, releasing me and letting his hands drop down to his sides. "Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know."

I gave him an odd look. "Well yeah, it just happened last night. And I didn't exactly know you were coming."

Luke bit his lip. "Right. So who is he? Should I be concerned?" Luke's dazzling smile had returned, though this time it didn't quite meet his eyes. Was Luke jealous of Percy?

"Just a friend, according to Annabeth," my father told him. "Thalia's cousin."

"Anyway," my mother cut in. "As we were saying before, Luke, you're very welcome to stay here. We've got a spare bedroom that you can have. Or would you and Annabeth prefer to have a sleepover out here in the living room?"

The thought made all of us crack up, and before long, I was bidding Luke goodnight and heading to my room. He'd kissed my cheek and said, "Goodnight, Annabeth." I wasn't going to lie, my heart did a backflip in my chest. I'd missed him so much.

But an odd thought came to me as I laid in bed. And that was if my parents would have let Percy stay in the house as easily as they had let Luke. Somehow I seriously doubted it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Annabeth?"

I groaned and turned over, burying my face in my pillow to try and drift back to sleep. That didn't happen, however. Someone grabbed my shoulder and shook me gently.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Wake up, I'm taking you to school today."

I peeked over my shoulder, squinting my eyes at the bright light illuminating my room to see Luke leaning over me. "Taking me to school? Why? Thalia usually picks me up." I wish I had my own car, but I didn't have enough money in my savings account. I was currently searching for a job so that I could buy a car before I went off to college.

Luke sat on the edge of the bed, his hand on my shoulder. "Yeah, but both of your parents have to work, and I want to spend a little more time with you before you head off to your eight hour jail cell. I'm using a rental car so I won't have to be stuck here in the house all day."

I grinned. "Oh, you poor thing. Let me get ready." I hopped out of bed. It took me exactly twenty minutes to get ready. By the time Luke and I headed out the door I'd called Thalia and told her Luke was driving me. The three of us agreed to meet up at the mall later for shakes and cheeseburgers. Feeling relatively happy, I bidded Luke good bye once we reached my school and headed to the gym.

I found Jason, Leo and Percy playing basketball. Jason was obviously the best, not missing a single throw. Percy was okay, but poor Leo was awful. Sports just weren't his thing. Leo was into mechanics, building cars and such. Put a basketball in his hands and he's got two left feet. Put a wrench in his hand and he could probably build his own car.

"Annabeth!" Thalia called. She and a dark-haired girl I didn't know were sitting on the bleachers. I joined them, and Thalia introduced us.

"Piper, this is Annabeth. Annabeth, Piper. Jason's secret girlfriend I had no idea about until like, yesterday."

"Hi," I said, grinning. "So you're the reason Jason's been using up all the minutes on his phone."

"Yep," Piper laughed. She was pretty, with tan skin and dark brown hair braided over one shoulder. "Just transfered here from California. Me and Jason met a long time ago, but when he moved we lost touch for a little while."

"And he never even bothered to tell me, the little brat," Thalia added, glaring at her brother.

Jason glanced at us, saw Thalia staring at him, and walked over, passing the ball the Percy, who immediately shot it into the hoop. Leo groaned.

"Are you guys talking about me?" Jason asked worriedly.

"Nope," Thalia, Piper and I said together. I could tell we were going to be fast friends.

...

I knelt beside Chrion's grave, pushing aside the dead rose I'd left last time and putting a new one in its place. I sat back on my heels, staring at the gravestone, wishing it bore any other name than my mentor's, and that he was still here with me.

"I wish you were here, Chiron," I said aloud. "Luke is in town, and I know how much he admired you." I stopped. I don't know why, but speaking out loud made me feel better. It was almost as if he was listening. I could easily imagine him leaning forward in his wheelchair, his gentle brown eyes lined with years of age but still sharp and observant. He would lace his fingers together, twiddling his thumbs with the strong smell of his morning coffee.

"My parents are divorced," I continued. "My mother has moved out but she still comes over a lot to see me. They're on good terms, and I don't want to ruin that, but I still haven't said anything about his affair. I don't know if I should. My dad doesn't seem to be wanting to tell her any time soon, but if my mother has to hear it from someone, it should be him. Right?"

No answer. Of course.

"Anyway, I just wanted to say that I miss you, and that I hope you're safe, and happy." I paused. "I don't think there's anything I wouldn't give to at least have one more conversation with you. I'll make you proud, Chiron. I promise." I stood, giving the grave one last look before turning and walking back to the car.

I drove home carefully, seeing as it was my mom's car. I had my license, so my parents would let me borrow their car if I needed it, but that was kind of hard to do when they were always working. I pulled into the driveway beside Luke's rental, a nice little BMW.

I frowned. No, wait. Luke was renting a Honda, and dad had his Toyota. Who's car was that?

I went into the house, expecting my dad to have guests. The only people waiting for me were my parents, Luke, and Thalia.

None of them said anything for a moment, but they were all grinning at me. I made a face at them. "Okay, you guys are starting to creep me out. What's going on?"

Dad held up a single key. "Want to take your early graduation present for a spin?"

And oh, did we ever. Luke, Thalia and I must've driven all over New York that evening. My parents stayed behind to let us spend time together. We stopped by the mall, the ice cream shop, everywhere we could think of.

"Could this day get any better?" Thalia said happily, licking her ice cream. We were by the park, enjoying the view.

"As long as you don't drip any ice cream on my new car it will," I warned. Thalia was occupying the backseat, with Luke in the passenger. I was extremely giddy. I had my two best friends in the entire world with me. The sun was setting, making the sky turn a beautiful purple and pink.

"Something good needs to happen, right now," Thalia said, staring off into the distance. "Something to end the year off." Suddenly her phone buzzed. She flipped it open. "It's Percy." Her eyes darted from side to side as she read, then her eyes widened. Her mouth dropped open.

"What?" I asked impatiently. Luke glanced over his shoulder at Thalia, who was staring at her phone in amazement.

"What! Thalia!" I started to grab her phone but she held it just out of my reach.

"Let me look at her for a minute," Thalia teased.

"Her?" Luke and I asked.

Thalia showed us her phone, which had a picture of an adorable newborn baby. Thalia was grinning from ear to ear. "Yep. Meet Percy's new baby sister."

"No way! Sally had the baby?" I had to call later and congratulate her and Paul. I bet he was so happy, it was all he could talk about for the past week.

"Hmm." Luke leaned back in his seat, his expression thoughtful. "I really need to meet this Percy. I've heard a lot about him."

Thalia turned to me, and I carefully avoided her eyes. "Have you? That's interesting. Annabeth, why don't the four of us hang out tomorrow? It'll be fun."

Not if I kill you first, I thought. Thalia had an evil smile on her face, one I didn't like.

"Good idea," Luke said. I mentally groaned. "We can go to the mall after you guys get out of school."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, I forgot you were an old man. Do we need to bring your cane, too?"

Luke scoffed and held a hand mockingly over his heart. "Ouch. That hurts, Thalia. Truly. Twenty-five isn't that old."

"I think I see some gray." Thalia picked at a strand of Luke's hair, and he playfully swatted her hand away.

"Watch it, Grace." They both laughed.

I however, sat in silence. If I didn't know better, I'd say they were...flirting. No, Thalia wouldn't do that to me. She knows how I feel about Luke. Then again, I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about him. It was too confusing.

Eventually we left the park, and after dropping Thalia off at her house, Luke and I went home. Dad had went to bed already, and mom must've left, so Luke and I both said good night. As I turned to go to my room, Luke grabbed my arm.

"Ah, Annabeth, I just-I thought I should say-" He leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. "Goodnight, beautiful. See you tomorrow." He turned and walked into his room, leaving me standing there for a moment with my mouth gaping open.

When I got into bed, I couldn't drop the huge smile that was spreading across my face. I think I fell asleep still smiling.

My father's voice woke me before my alarm did.

"You're kidding? That's great news!" He was obviously downstairs but his voice echoed all the way into my room.

Groaning, I crawled out of bed, rubbing my eyes. A glance at my clock told me it was thirty minutes before I was supposed to get up.

"Thanks, Dad," I sighed. Still half asleep I jumped into the shower, letting the warm water relax my muscles. I think I may have fallen asleep a few times.

When I was done getting ready I grabbed my backpack, sliding my feet into my favorite pair of sneakers. Wearing a school uniform was a pain in the butt sometimes, but at least I didn't have to worry about picking out an outfit. I strangled my curly blond hair into a ponytail and descended the stairs. My dad was just grabbing his keys when I walked in.

"Hey honey, breakfast is on the table. Sorry I couldn't do more, but I'm running a little late for work." He kissed the top of my head as I sat down at the table. "Love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too, Dad." He left. A stack of pancakes and sausage were sitting in front of me waiting to be eaten. My stomach growled.

After I'd eaten and washed my dishes, I decided to check to see if Luke was awake. My face burned at the thought of his lips on my cheek, but I told myself to get over it. Taking a deep breath, I knocked on his door. It creaked open. "Luke?"

He wasn't here. His bed had been made, and his backpack was gone. On one side of his bed, a picture of me and him at the zoo sat on his nightstand. He had an arm thrown over my shoulders, both of us grinning. Oh man, what a trip that was. To this day Luke will swear that giraffe tried to eat his fingers, even though he was just trying to lick off the ice cream that Luke had previously eaten beforehand.

Closing the door, I went back downstairs to wait for Thalia, glancing longingly out the window at my car, wishing I could drive to school. Unfortunately you had to register for a parking spot. Hopefully I'd be able to do that today so that I wouldn't have to wait on Thalia to get to school. Not that I really minded, since it gave me more time with my best friend, but it will be nice to have my own ride.

Thalia honked her horn from the driveway. I locked the door behind me and climbed into the passenger seat only to realize we weren't alone.

Three people sat in the back. Two girls, one boy. The girl on the left looked like the oldest, with olive skin and dark hair and eyes. The boy sitting next to her was obviously her brother, but the girl to the right of them looked nothing like them. She had curly brown hair and eyes that almost looked like molten gold.

"Annabeth, meet my newly found cousins," Thalia joked. "Bianca, Nico, and Hazel. Guys, this is Annabeth, my best friend."

"Hey," Bianca said shyly.

"Hey," Nico and Hazel repeated.

I smiled. "Hey. So you guys are related to Thalia, Jason and Percy huh?" They nodded.

"I'm so sorry."

Thalia smacked my arm. "Very funny, Chase. My dear brother decided to ride with Piper today, in case you were wondering, so it's going to be the five of us. You're gonna help me give them the grand tour. Show them the amazing sights of our school and what not."

I leaned my head back against the seat. The dull headache I'd had this morning was getting stronger. "There's not much to see, really. The only thing worth seeing is the gym. It got rebuilt," I added, seeing Hazel's confused look through the mirror. "I would have built it a bit differently, but that's just me. I would've made more space for a swimming pool, and a separate room for sports equipment."

"Annabeth wants to be an architect," Thalia explained to her cousins. "She rambles sometimes. You just have to nod along."

Now it was my turn to smack her. "Don't get smart. If they hadn't wasted so much time over spacing the gym they wouldn't have to keep everything in the Coach's office."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Only you would argue over this, Wise Girl. Just don't go into full blown nerd on me. You know I won't be able to keep up."

I stuck my tongue out at her. She did the same.

"Wow, you guys really are best friends," Hazel laughed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

I don't think I've ever been so glad to be home in my life.

The night had been going so well. Thalia, Luke, Percy and myself were at the mall having a good time. Luke and Percy got along a lot better than I thought they would. While Thalia and I shopped around, the boys hung back and talked video games. At one point they even left us to go to to the video store.

But then, as we were about to leave, Percy pulled me aside.

"Is Luke okay?" he'd asked.

I blinked. "Um, I guess. Why?"

Percy shrugged, glancing over at Luke and Thalia, who were laughing at something. Thankfully they were just out of earshot. "Just curious. Something seems...off about him."

I shifted my weight, not sure where he was going with this, but I was starting to get aggravated. "What do you mean? Luke is fine. You're being rude. He really likes you, you know. The both of you got along so well."

Percy held his hands up in defense. "Don't snap at me, Annabeth. I know, I think he's really cool. I'm just saying, something's wrong. I don't know what it is, but..."

"He's fine," I snapped. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Fine," Percy snapped back. He sulked off, beckoning to Thalia and leading her away.

Thalia glanced back at me, her eyes questioning. _What was that all about?_

I shrugged and smiled, waving. Though my stomach felt like lead. I suddenly very much wanted to punch something.

On the way home, I studied Luke's face. His face did seem hallow, almost like a skeleton, and his skin appeared more pale than when he first arrived. But other than that he was the same Luke I remembered. I shook my head. Percy didn't know what he was talking about.

Laying in bed, guilt started to creep in on me. I hadn't even listened to what Percy had had to say. I'd snapped at him and shut him down.

Forget it, I told myself. He's delusional. But no matter what I did, my fight with Percy wouldn't leave my mind. I couldn't sleep, I was too restless. I tried watching a movie on my laptop, but that didn't work either.

I pulled out my secret project, my plans to rebuild New York, and worked on it for an hour. Then another hour passed, and before I knew it, it was half past midnight.

Satisfied, I put my stuff in my desk drawer and crawled into bed. I checked my phone for any messages, but I didn't have any.

In reality I was hoping Percy would text me. But he didn't. I put it on the nightstand next to my bed and tried not to look at it. I stared at my ceiling for a while, but eventually my eyes traveled back to the phone.

I don't know how long I laid there, but eventually I fell asleep.

The sun felt warm on my face. I stood on a hill overlooking the entire city of New York, except it was different. It was _my_ city, the one I'd spent so long creating. It was bigger, better, and mine. I really did it. I created my own city. I stared at it in awe until a cough caught my attention.

I turned. My mother, father, and Luke sat on a picnic blanket. My mother waved me over. Luke held his hand out.

"Come have lunch with us, darling," my father said. "Let's celebrate. You deserve it, for working so hard."

Half in a trance I walked foward. Before I could take Luke's hand he suddenly stood and moved off to the side. I felt a tug at my hand, and before I realized what was happening Percy was leading me down to sit beside him in the exact spot Luke was a moment before.

Thalia grabbed Luke around the waist. He put an arm around her shoulders.

"One big happy family, right?" Thalia asked, grinning.

Gasping, I woke up. I sat up, taking a moment to gather my bearings. I was in my room, in bed. Not in the sun having a picnic with my parents and friends.

I remembered Percy's hand in mine and I blushed. That was the second time now that Percy has been into my dreams. I really wished they would stop.

The sunlight peering through my windows told me it was morning. A glance at my clock told me it was very late in the morning.

"Nine o' clock!" I jumped out of bed. I had a job interview in one hour. For some reason the alarm on my phone didn't go off, so I had to take a quick shower and dress in a rush. I had wanted to wait to get a job but I needed the money. Plus, I had to pay for my gas somehow.

My job interview was with a cute little coffee shop down town. It was next to the high school, fifteen minutes from my house, so I could go to work right after. Walking in, a little bell tinkled announcing my presence.

I was prepared for this. I walked in with confidence, my head held high. What I was not prepared for, however, was Percy walking towards me wearing an apron and carrying a tray. My heart did somersaults.

Percy glanced at the door and opened his mouth to greet a new costumer when he saw that it was me. I waved sheepishly.

Percy gave an elderly lady her mocha and walked over to me, tucking the tray under his arm. He was wearing a blue button down with black jeans. The apron actually didn't look too bad on him.

Stop looking, I ordered myself. You're here for a job, not to gawk at Percy. Clearing my throat, I asked, "So, you work here, huh?"

"Yep," Percy answered. There was an awkward pause.

"Percy," I sighed. "I'm so-"

Percy shook his head. "Don't be. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have overstepped."

"But I should have at least listened-"

"Well still, it was rude."

I sighed in relief. It felt as though a ton of weight had suddenly lifted my shoulders. "Thanks. So, can I speak to your manager?"

Percy nodded and led me to the back, where a woman sat talking on the phone.

She had long caramel colored hair braided over one shoulder. She played with the string of her apron while she talked, but when she saw me she smiled. She said good bye and hung up the phone, turning to me.

"Callie, this is Annabeth. Annabeth, this is Calypso, but she prefers Callie," Percy introduced.

I walked foward and held my hand out. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." We shook hands. "You're very outgoing, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am."

"I can tell," she laughed.

She seemed so sweet, and easy going. The type that could make anyone feel welcome. But I had a feeling she could go from sweet to vicious in a heartbeat if she wanted to.

"Okay, well, I'll leave you to it," Percy said. He wiggled his fingers mockingly at Callie. "Buh bye now."

"Get back to work, Percy," Callie laughed. "Don't make me fire you."

"You won't fire me and you know it."

Callie stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed and left.

Flirty much? I thought. I hated to admit it, but that bothered me much more than it should have.

"So." Callie turned back to me, her flirty posture shifting to business. "Come into my office, please." I followed her into a small but cozy little room. She sat behind her desk and I took the seat in front.

Callie laced her fingers together. "I'm going to be completely honest here. I'm usually an easygoing person. I hate asking all these stupid interview questions, so answer honestly and we can get through it. Why do you think you're qualified for this job?"

All in all, it was probably the easiest interview I've ever been to. Callie was really cool, offering homemade cookies and crumpets.

At the end of the interview, we stood. Callie gave me a quick hug. "Well, you are definitely hired. Here's your paperwork, and you'll need to fill this out to get a drug test. Which you'll pass, I'm sure," she joked.

"Of course," I laughed. "Thank you so much, Callie."

I left her office. Percy was making a cappuccino. When he saw me he raised an eyebrow questioningly.

I grinned and held up the paperwork for him to see. He gave me a thumbs up.

I headed over to Thalia's house. When I arrived, there were voices coming from the backyard so I went through the gate and headed towards the sounds. I found Thalia, Piper, Jason sitting around a bonfire. Hazel, Nico, and Bianca were with them.

"Looks like I'm missing all the fun," I called.

"Annabeth!" Thalia jumped up. "Good, you made it! How was your interview?"

"It was good. You could've at least warned me Percy was working there, though." I took a seat between her and Jason. Piper was nestled against Jason's back. They looked so cute together, I couldn't resist telling them so.

Piper laughed. "Aw, thanks. We try."

"They're either the kind of couple that you look at and think aww how cute, or you look at and think, ugh get a room," Bianca chimed in. Hazel snorted and nearly spilled hot chocolate down her jacket.

Nico passed me a mug, pouring hot chocolate from a thermos.

"Thanks," I said gratefully. Two weeks of winter break meant freezing cold weather. I turned to Bianca, who was fretting with Nico's jacket, making sure he was warm. He swatted her hand away, like any little brother would. "So do you guys like New York?"

Bianca nodded, finally leaving Nico alone. "Yes, it's really nice. It was really sweet for our uncle to take us in. Our mother, Nico's and mine, I mean, passed away from a heart attack when were little. Our dad was all we had. He had cancer. He knew he wouldn't have much longer, so he contacted Thalia's dad about keeping us. I'll be eighteen soon, and heading off to college, but Nico and Hazel will stay with him until they finish school."

I turned to Hazel. "So your mom..."

"Abandoned me," Hazel said flatly. "Left me with a dad and two siblings i didn't even know. She could be halfway across the world and not even tell me."

I put my hand gently over hers. "I know you've probably heard this enough, but I'm sorry. For all of you," I added. Bianca gave a weak smile. Nico stared into the fire, but I could see that his eyes were shining. "Just know we're here for you. You'll like Goode, and there are some good people here." I thought back to all of the people who'd surrounded Percy and me after the car crash, and how they'd been persistent in staying with us until my parents arrived.

"Besides," Thalia chimed in, "I'm going to be your favorite cousin. Stick with me, and you be fine."

Jason shook his head. "Um, no. A little piece of advice, do not stick with my sister, no matter what you do. You'll more than likely end up in jail."

"Guess that leaves Percy," Piper laughed.

We sat talking around the fire for a long time, until the sun was setting in the distance. It wasn't until poor Hazel's teeth started chattering that we abandoned the fire and went inside. It was nice and toasty, the smell of freshly baked cookies filling the air.

"Wow, is your mom baking cookies?" Hazel asked. "They smell amazing."

"No, that's our housekeeper," Thalia said, the tone in her voice suddenly flat and edgy. I glanced sideways at her but she wouldn't meet my eyes.

The Graces' housekeeper, Lily, walked out of the kitchen. Though she cleaned the house, she also acted as a cook, and an excellent one at that.

"Oh, I was just about to come get you," she said. "Dinner is ready. Are you staying as well, Annabeth?" she asked me politely.

I shook my head. "No, ma'am. I need to get home, my brother is coming home for the holidays."

"Okay, honey, well drive safe. The weather really is getting terrible out there-"

"Lily!"

Mrs. Grace shuffled slowly down the stairs. Her dark hair was flowing down past her shoulders like an inky waterfall. She wore a frilly pink bathrobe, and she had a wineglass in her hand.

Like she always did.

Thalia stiffened, her hands balling into fists. Jason glanced at his mother and then looked away, pretending to be interested in the curtains.

"What's taking dinner so long?" Mrs. Grace said impatiently.

"I'll bring it up right away, ma'am," Lily said sweetly. "Go back to bed now."

"Humph." Mrs. Grace turned and slowly walked back upstairs. I could tell it took everything she had not to stumble and fall.

"So who's hungry?" Jason asked, breaking the tense silence.

If there was one thing I could say about Thalia, it was that she didn't cry easily. So it nearly made me start sobbing to see the tear that rolled silently down her cheek. She turned and wiped it quickly away before anyone could see.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Sis! Hey, sis, wake up."

I groaned and rolled over, pulling my pillow over my head. "Malcolm, go away." We had two weeks to spend together, and he always was a stickler for getting up at the exact same time every day, which was six in the morning. He couldn't even let me get another two hours in, at least?

Malcolm laughed and pulled my pillow away, tangling up my hair. Gently, he pulled it aside away from my face. "You never really were a morning person."

"I am too, I just didn't sleep well last night." I had another dream. And this one, you guessed it, was about Percy. He was a warrior, dressed in armor with a bronze sword, ready to fight a demon. What woke me up was when the demon swiped his paw at Percy's chest and caused him to come flying right at me.

Malcolm shook my shoulder, not really to wake me up, but just to be irritating. I slapped his hand away, and he chuckled again. "Come on, Dad's making pancakes. First one down gets the biggest stack." He jumped up from the bed and left my room. I quickly followed; if there was one thing my brother was good at, it was hogging all the pancakes.

Sure enough, when I walked into the kitchen, there was enough to feed a family of ten. Luke was beside Malcolm, and when he saw me he gave a halfhearted smile. No, not even that, just one corner of his mouth turned up. My heart sped up. Something was definitely wrong. Had Percy been right?

He looks like he lost ten pounds since he got here, which was something considering he's been eating my dad's cooking. He should've gained twenty by now.

"So, you finally decided to crawl out of bed," my dad joked, breaking me from my thoughts. Scowling, I mumbled something about being a morning person and sat down. Dad joined us with a plate of bacon.

Malcolm looked around. "Isn't mom coming?"

Before I could kick him, dad shook his head. "No, since the divorce we decided if we were going to stay friends it was best to not be around each other too much. I know it's hard, but it's better this way. Really," he added, seeing Malcolm's expression. "We're happier."

"I know, Dad," Malcolm said quietly. "I'm glad. I just don't want our family to be awkward and ruined."

"I feel like I'm intruding," Luke joked, speaking for the first time.

Dad put a hand over his. "Don't be, you're a part of this family too. Don't forget that."

Luke opened his mouth, then closed it and nodded. He turned back to his breakfast, and I thought for a moment I saw his eyes tearing up.

"Hey, I was thinking, since I'm off work today and Annabeth doesn't have to work, we could go do something." Dad speared a sausage and popped it into his mouth. "We don't get moments like this very often."

Now it was my turn to gape. I couldn't remember the last time I did something with my dad, besides go with him and mom to drop Malcolm off at college.

"How about lunch at Joe's Pizza," Dad continued. "I heard their pies are pretty excellent."

"Joe's Pizza?" I thought back to the night of the accident. Percy and I had been ushered into a pizza restaurant, and I'm pretty sure it was Joe's. "That's where Percy and I were the night of the accident. The owner is super nice."

"Well it's settled then, pizza it is." Dad turned to Luke. "You like pizza right? Is that okay?"

Luke grinned, but it seemed forced. Or maybe I was just imagining it. "Oh yeah, I can eat an entire pizza by myself."

Everyone hung out around the house until twelve. Malcolm and I watched movies on the flat screen with a bowl of popcorn between us, watching to see if we could find any blunders or mistakes. We'd always been close, so it was nice to spend time with him. It got kind of lonely in the house with just me and dad. He worked all the time, so I pretty much had the house to myself.

Luke went up to his room, quietly shutting the door behind him. I'd wanted to talk to him, but Malcolm told me to give him space. He was probably upset that he wouldn't get to spend the holidays with his mother.

May Castellan had been confirmed as schizophrenic. The last I'd heard she was in some sort of home for sick patients. Luke's dad, well, that was harder. Most days he'll spend in bed with a bottle of whiskey in his hand.

My dad was in his room, probably playing with his toy airplanes. No, sorry, _working_ on his toy airplanes. If I said he was playing with them he'd get mad at me.

"Luke doesn't seem like himself," Malcolm suddenly said. He grabbed a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into his mouth. "He seems..."

"Off?" I said quietly, echoing Percy. "Yeah, but like you said, it's probably because he misses his mom. His dad probably doesn't even know he's gone."

Malcolm shook his head. "You'll forever be defending him, won't you?"

"You're damn right I will." I think my fierceness surprised both of us. Malcolm didn't respond, he just stared at the TV for a while. I thought the conversation was over, until Malcolm picked up the remote and paused the movie. He then turned to me, his expression serious.

"Annabeth, if something was wrong with him, like seriously wrong, would you want to help him?"

I gaped at him. "Of course I would! How could you say that? I'd do anything, _anything_ , for him."

Instead of looking surprised, my brother just nodded. "Yeah, that's what I figured." He unpaused the movie, and we lapsed into silence once more.

At a quarter till twelve my dad strolled down the stairs, and my mouth fell open. "Woah, Dad..."

Dad grinned. "I know, casual looks good on me, huh?" He was wearing an untucked blue button down shirt, with jeans and sneakers. That was probably the most laid back outfit I've ever seen him wear in my life. I used to think he slept in kakkis and a crisp button down.

Malcolm gave him the thumbs up. "Nice, Dad. Very bachelor."

Dad grabbed his jacket, shrugging it on. "Thanks, Mal. Go get ready, and tell Luke we're leaving."

Twenty minutes later, after several attempts at the three of us trying to hog the bathroom, name calling and pinching, we descended the stairs. Dad was on the couch, watching the movie Malcolm and I had put on earlier.

He rose. "About time. I thought there was a wrestling match going on up there with the racket you three were making."

"Not our fault Annabeth takes thirty minutes to shower," Malcolm complained. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Like you're one to talk, you took forty," Luke told him.

Dad waved us to the door. "Alright, let's go before I start pulling all my hair out. I'd like a few more years with a head full of hair before I go bald."

The car ride was light hearted and happy. Malcolm, Luke and I took particular joy in making fun of dad and his granny speed driving. When we finally got there, we found out a lot of people had decided on pizza today. There was a line going out the door. We stood there a moment, pondering on whether or not to wait or go somewhere else.

"Let's go to Danny's, they're pretty good too," Malcolm suggested. So fifteen minutes later, we were seated at a noncrowded Danny's.

"Much better," my dad sighed, taking a menu after the waitress had brought our drinks. "The atmosphere here is more relaxed anyway. You kids decide on what you want?"

"Pepperoni pizza," Malcolm and I said together. We both grinned.

"Luke?"

Luke scanned the menu. "Hmm, this veggie pizza sounds pretty good."

Dad nodded. "Yeah, it does. Think I'll get that too."

The waitress came back to take our order. She was very pretty, with curly brown hair pulled into a ponytail. I also couldn't help but notice the blush that appeared on her cheeks when she looked at my brother. And vise versa. Malcolm turned as red as the bottle of hot sauce he was toying with.

When it was his turn, he glanced up and there eyes met for a brief moment. After she left, I nudged him. "Oooh, I saw that. She was giving you the eye."

"Shut up," Malcolm muttered.

Luke glanced over his shoulder to make sure the waitress was out of earshot. "She was cute, dude. You should go for it."

There was a weird burning sensation in my throat, that I realized was jealousy. Annoyed, I tried to push it down. "You should. You never know, she could end up being my sister-in-law one day."

Malcolm shook his head. "Not funny."

"Who's being funny? I'm serious. Eventually you'll find someone who can put up with your excessive snoring."

Malcolm grabbed his straw paper that he'd wadded into a ball and threw it at me.

"Alright guys, you're both adults here," my dad said, in reply to which both Malcolm and I stuck our tongues out at him. Dad sighed. "Love you guys too."

I glanced over at Luke, expecting him to be laughing, but he was staring out the window, his expression grim. His face had turned bone white.

"Luke?" I reached for his hand, but he jerked it back, his surprised expression smoothing to one of cold indifference. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just-I need to go." He slid out of the booth and stood.

"Go? But your pizza hasn't even arrived yet," dad said. "Are you feeling alright? Are you sick?"

Luke shook his head. He didn't look alright. In fact, he looked like he was going to vomit right in the middle of the restaurant. He backed away. "I'm really sorry, Frederick. I'll make it up to you, promise. I just need to take care of a few things." And with that, he turned and left, almost ran, out the door.

Making a quick decision, I hurried out the restaurant after him. "Luke? Luke! Wait!"

Luke turned. It had started raining, and his hair was plastered down his face. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Annabeth, go back inside. Don't follow me, understand?"

I didn't. I crossed my arms too and stood my ground. "Luke, what is going on with you? You haven't been yourself lately, and I barely see you anymore-"

"Annabeth listen to me," Luke cut me off sharply, his voice rising. "Leave me alone. Stay out of my business, if you know what's good for you."

I stood there, for the first time in my life, completely speechless. Luke had never raised his voice at me, ever. And to top it off, it sounded as if he were threatening me.

"Don't follow me," Luke repeated. "Go back to your dad and brother. Tell them I forgot I had some really important school things I had to do, and that I'll be home later. Alright?"

I finally managed to find my voice again. "Who are you?" I whispered.

Luke gasped, staring at me. I just stared back. Then he turned and headed down the street, not looking back.

I returned to my seat. My dad asked if Luke was okay, and if he'd be returning, and I told them what Luke had told me. Off running school errands. That was all. By then the pizzas had arrived, and though I forced myself to eat a slice, it felt like molten lead in my stomach.

On the car ride home, it was silent. No one talked, and the radio remained off. It was very obviously clear that Luke and I had fought, but neither Malcolm nor my dad brought it up, and I was glad.

Once home, I spent the remainder of the day trying to keep my mind off of Luke, and what he could be doing right now. What had he seen that had made his face turn so pale like that? Was someone stalking him?

I groaned into my pillow. I needed a distraction, something to keep my mind off of Luke. I wish Thalia hadn't left New York to visit family. I could use some quality time with my best friend right now.

 _Ring ring._

Turning over, I grabbed my phone off my nightstand. It was a text...

 **Need to escape. Family is driving me nuts. Want to run away with me? -Percy**

Hello distraction.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

I dug my heels into the dirt, stopping myself mid-swing. The air was too chilly, biting my face and sending shivers down my back. Percy, who either didn't notice or didn't care, and I was guessing the latter, was swinging so high into the air he was making the swing set rock, threatening to tip over.

"You're crazy," I called to him. "The cold air doesn't bother you?"

"Nope." He slowed to a stop beside me. "I'm used to the weather in New York."

I shook my head. "I lived in Virginia most of my life, so New York took a pretty good while to get used to."

Percy smirked. "But you love it here now, huh?"

I bumped his shoulder, making my swing bump his. "Maybe."

He laughed. "Yeah, I missed it too. Traveling with my dad was great, but I missed this place. Hanging out with Thalia and Jason, my mom..."

"Oh yeah, how's the baby?"

Percy made a face. "Rotten. Spoiled rotten to the core. She's going to be Daddy's little princess, I can tell."

I burst out laughing. "Aw, that bad, huh?"

"I'm pretty sure no one noticed me leave. They were all too busy cooing over her."

"So that's why you had to escape."

Percy grinned, but then his expression turned serious. "What about you? Are you okay?"

We both swung in silence for a while, while I decided how to answer.

"it's complicated," I finally said. "Luke, he..."

Percy looked at me. "Something is wrong with him."

I leaned my head against the chain. "You were right." I sighed. "I hope you're happy."

"That doesn't make me happy."

We sat in silence for a minute longer. I sighed again. I'd come here to escape my thoughts, and here I was, fighting with Percy in zero degree weather for something that wasn't even his fault.

"Percy...I'm sorry. I just wish I knew what was going on with him. He hasn't seemed like himself since he got here." I told him everything that happened at the restaurant. I hadn't realized how much stress I'd been shouldering until the words were flowing out of my mouth. When I was finished, I felt a whole lot better.

Percy stared forward, watching a couple and their baby across the street. The dad lifted the baby up in the air and nuzzled her face, making the baby giggle.

"So what now?" he asked. "Are you going to confront him?"

I shook my head, sighing again. I was sighing a lot today. "I'm going to do the opposite, no matter how hard it is. I'm going to step back and give him space. I know Luke. He'll tell me...eventually. I know he will."

"What if he doesn't?" Percy asked. "What if he just suddenly leaves?"

"He won't," I responded.

"You seem pretty unsure."

I stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you may not know it, but I'm willing to bet I know you a lot better than you think. You can't just stand by and watch. its not you. You like to jump in, solve the riddle. If there's a problem, you like to figure out what it is."

I sat in silence, stunned. It wasn't wrong, that was definitely me. I just couldn't believe Percy knew that about me. I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye. He definitely seemed the same since we were twelve. Goofy, clumsy, pain in the butt. But reliable. He always had my back when I needed him. He was also more observant than I gave him credit for.

I took his hand. He looked slightly surprised, but his fingers wrapped around mine. I squeezed his hand. "I don't know what's going to happen with Luke, but promise you'll stay by my side. Kay, Seaweed Brain?"

Percy grinned. "Seaweed Brain?"

"Hey, it's the first thing that popped into my head. Shut up."

Percy laughed. "Okay then...Wise Girl."

"Wise Girl?"

"It's better than the first thing that popped into my head."

I made a face. "Why, what was the first thing?"

"Owl Head."

"Oh my God, I'm going to kill you."

We both cracked up. We spent thirty more minutes thinking of some more creative names to call each other, some that probably shouldn't be said in public, before Percy's phone rang. His mom was calling to find out where he went, so we left the park and headed back to his car. Thanks to insurance the Prius was back up and running. Paul had let him drive it again under the promise to stay away from trees.

Percy held the door open for me, then slid into the driver's seat. The couple across the street were gone; the cold wind was picking up fast. If we'd stayed on the swings any longer we would have been frozen to the seats.

I was dreading going home, but I didn't have to worry too much. What should have been a regular thirty minute drive turned into a good hour due to the snow. Percy was driving carefully to avoid sliding off the road, and I was glad. I did not need any more stitches in my head.

When we arrived home, Luke's car was in the driveway. So was my mom's. I swallowed. "Want to come inside?"

Percy raised his eyebrows. "Are you really dreading going in that much? We can go back to my place if you want."

I shook my head, glancing out the window. The air outside swirled, the snow suddenly coming down much harder than it had ten minutes ago. I couldn't even hardly see. "Percy, you can't drive in this. Come inside and wait it out with me. Call your mom and let her know you're safe."

Percy glanced out the window. "Yeah, one car crash is enough for one year."

We left the car and ran for the house. I quickly rammed my key into the lock and opened the door. My face felt like it was going to fall off.

We paused for a moment. I could hear voices coming from the kitchen. Percy and I glanced at each other. He smiled that annoyingly cute half smirk and shrugged, gesturing for me to lead the way. I took a deep breath. With Percy beside me I felt a whole lot more confident. I could do this.

We rounded the corner into the kitchen. My mom and Luke were sitting on the kitchen barstools. Malcolm and dad were standing behind the counter. Everyone turned we entered. My mom's eyes flashed for a second with surprise, then her face settled into a mask of polite warmth at a houseguest.

Luke looked miserable and tired, but when he saw Percy, something else crossed his expression that I couldn't place. Anger? Jealousy?

"Percy," my dad started. "Nice to see you."

"You too, Mr. Chase."

"Frederick, please. Mr. Chase makes me sound so old-"

"What the heck is going on?" I cut across dad, facing Luke. "And don't say nothing. What happened today wasn't nothing."

Luke was deathly pale, without an ounce of color in his face. "I have to leave New York. I thought I'd left them behind in Conneticut, but they're here. They found me."

"Who found you?" my mother demanded. "Luke, if you're in some sort of trouble we can go to the police-"

"No!" Luke helped. "Not the police. They won't help. I'd rather-"

"The only reason you won't go to the police is because it involves drugs. doesn't it?" I said flatly. "Am I right? Because then you'd get busted, too."

Dad gasped, turning to Luke. "Luke, is this true?"

Mom gripped Luke's arm tightly. "Luke?"

My hands balled into fists. I didn't even know why I was so angry, but I was. Out of anyone in the world, Luke...

"What do you owe them? Drugs? Money?"

"Both," Luke muttered. "But it's not what you think."

"Then explain," Mom ordered. I noticed Malcolm and Percy were being quiet, listening to the confrontation. I immediately felt bad. I'd dragged Percy into the middle of this drama, making him stand here and listen to us. I slightly turned, ready to ask if he wanted to just hang out in my room, but Percy gave a tiny jerk of the head. He lightly brushed my shoulder. _Go on,_ he seemed to say.

"I-I can't get into details. The less you know the better, but...the truth is that I'm starting to show early signs of schizophrenia. Like my mother. I bought something that I thought would help delay the process, but it didn't. Now I owe the guys for crap that didnt even work, so they're after me."

I stared at my oldest childhood friend, as if for the first time. Suddenly it were as if I were looking at a stranger. "So your only solution is to keep running?" I said quietly. "What will you do, keep running for the rest of your life?"

"Not forever, no." Luke shook his head. "I'm not just leaving the state, I'm leaving the country. I know it seems a bit overboard, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life in fear. Especially since I don't know how much time I'll have before...you know..."

An image came to my head then, of May Castellan in an asylum, wrapped in a straight jacket so that she couldn't hurt herself or others. I couldn't imagine Luke the same way, I just couldn't. It was impossible to bear.

"I've already got it worked out," Luke continued. "I'm leaving very early in the morning. And Annabeth-" He looked me dead in the eye. "This will probably be the last time we ever see each other. if I contact you or anyone you love I'm putting you all at risk. Do you understand?"

"I-" I couldn't speak. My mouth tasted like copper.

Luke's blue eyes studied me. Gorgeous blue, like sapphire. I wanted to keep that color in my memory forever. "Annabeth, tell me you understand."

Suddenly I was very much aware of Percy standing beside me. His shoulder was still pressed against mine. Whatever happened now, or whatever happened in my future, Luke wouldn't be a part of it. Would Percy?

Everyone was silent, waiting for me to respond.

"I understand," I said quietly.

Luke nodded. He slowly raised himself from his chair and held his arms out. Taking a deep breath, I moved away from Percy and stepped into his arms. He was so familiar, and yet at the same time a stranger. He still smelled like soap from his last shower. We held each other for a few minutes, not speaking.

Then I stepped back, and didn't stop until I felt Percy's chest against my back. He gently wrapped a hand around mine. "Good bye, Luke," whispered. Before I could stop them, tears escaped my eyes.

"Don't cry for me," Luke told me. "Be happy for me. Live for me. Go to college, get married, have five kids. Just please be happy." His voice dropped down to a whisper. "Just do that for me, and I'll be okay. Were still family, you and me. I promise."

I smiled. "I know."

Luke turned toward my parents and brother. "By the time you wake up, I'll be gone. So I just wanted to say that-" his voice cracked. "That I'm glad I got to call you my family. It means more to me than you'll ever know."

Mom wrapped her arms tight around Luke and kissed his cheek. "You'll always have a home here, dear. Remember that."

Luke in turn gave both my dad and brother extra long hugs. Then he turned to Percy.

"Take care of her," was all he said. Percy nodded.

"Well..." Luke glanced at the staircase. "I have a long day tomorrow. I should go to sleep." All of us stood there for a moment, marveling at the fact that we would never see Luke again. Luke raised a hand. "Good night."

"Good night, Luke." Mom was crying. Malcolm wrapped an arm around her shoulders. I think this was the first time I've seen Dad cry.

Good bye, old friend.

...

"Percy?"

"Hmm?"

Percy rolled onto his back. He'd taken the couch. Mom had insisted in extra blankets and pillows, so Percy was barely visible in his cocoon. It looked super comfortable. I, however, hadn't slept all night. It was three o' clock in the morning. I'd stayed up for hours listening for movement. When I crept downstairs and peeked out the frost covered window, Luke's car was gone.

Percy peeked one eye open, then sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Hey, you okay?" he asked gently, seeing my expression.

In response I sat beside him and buried my face in his chest. Fair to say, his shirt got ruined.

"I didn't think so." He wrapped his arms around me and we lay there, letting me cry myself to sleep while he gently rubbed my back.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

(Three Months Later)

"So," Thalia said. She sat alone at a booth in the cafe Percy and I worked at, grinning from ear to ear as she sipped her latte. "Enjoying the relationship so far?"

"You're a pain," I responded, using my rag to wipe the spot of coffee she'd spilled on the table. It's been three months since Luke left my life forever, and also since Percy and I became a couple. Thalia has been teasing me about it ever since.

Thalia leaned back in her chair, still smiling. "Hey, what are best friends for? Besides, he's my cousin. He's only back in New York until the end of our senior year, so I only have so long to torture him before he leaves."

It felt like all the air had left my lungs. "What?"

Thalia frowned. "Didn't he tell you? His dad wants him to follow him into his company. It's why he traveled all over the world. He'll make amazing money, too."

"I..." I closed my mouth, feeling as though my happy little bubble had suddenly just been popped, leaving me exposed. I never really thought about life after high school. I kind of always assumed we'd stay together while in college. But if Percy were leaving the country, God only knows when I'd see him again.

"And anyway," Thalia continued, "I know what you're thinking. But Percy said it's what he wants to do. His dad didn't twist his arm into it. If Percy goes, he'll get to help a lot of people, and a lot of wildlife, especially out at sea, which Percy loves anyway. He'll have to travel all the time, though..."

Like it or not, who was I to stand in the way of something he really wanted to do? I was going to Harvard anyway, I already got my letter. I would be leaving New York, too.

Thalia waved a hand, spilling more coffee on the table. I glared at her but didn't rush to clean it, seeing as she'd probably spill more. "Hey, long distance relationships sometimes work. Don't worry about it, kay?"Her hand dropped onto the table, right onto the mess she'd made. She made a face, and I snickered.

"What you get," I told her, then ducked out of the way as she threw a wadded up napkin at me.

"Get back to work," she laughed. I stuck my tongue out at her, and left.

...

"Hey, Dad?" I asked. "When is Malcolm coming home again?"

My dad and I were sitting outside the ice cream parlor. He was licking his vanilla cone while I devoured my chocolate fudge sundae.

"Probably this summer," he said. "Why?"

I shrugged. "Just curious. I miss him." I made a face. "I can't believe I just said that."

Dad laughed. "See, I told you. You can't wait until he leaves for college, until he actually goes. Then you realize how much you liked having him around."

"Yeah, yeah. At least we didn't fight regularly like most siblings do."

Dad wiped his face with his napkin before answering. "True, you two didn't fight physically. You used words, which sometimes got you both into even more trouble than if you'd been fist fighting."

"Hey, I only cussed him out once. And I was seven."

"And you got grounded for a month." Dad laughed again.

I grinned. "Totally worth it."

Dad shook his head, then suddenly turned serious. "So...how's Percy?" It was an innocent question, but I could see the twinkle in his eyes. He was teasing me.

I raised my chin. "He's fine. We're fine."

He raised a hand in defense. "Hey, just asking a question. I can't ask about your friends?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Then how come you didn't ask about Thalia?"

"Because that girl pretty much lives with us. I don't have to ask, because she'll tell me and then proceed to eat every bag of chips in the house."

I burst out laughing. "It's true!" he said. "I've even hidden chips and she still somehow managed to find them."

"That's my best friend for you," I giggled.

"Frederick?" a voice called suddenly. I looked up, and stopped laughing. My dad froze.

"Hey, I thought that was you!" the woman said. She was pretty, her red highlighted hair pulled up into a ponytail. She was wearing dress pants and a blouse, with high heels. She looked like she was either about to attend a business meeting or a fancy dinner date. I knew who she was upon first glance, and hated her guts immediately.

"Sarah," my dad said uneasily. "What are you doing here?"

The lady, Sarah, shifted her weight. "Well, I moved here. My company that I work for offered me a great deal and I took it." She smiled. "I never thought I'd run into you, here. I figured you'd stay in Virginia."

My dad's ice cream was starting to melt. It ran down his hand, but he didn't notice. "Well, I got a better job offer, too. To be honest, though, I'd thought about leaving Virginia for a long time before I got the job offer."

I'm sure you did, I thought crossly. Trying to run from your past. A thousand memories came rushing back, and suddenly I found I couldn't stand to be beside my father. I tried so hard to forget, to keep my mouth shut so it would pass, so our family wouldn't be ruined. And yet it still happened.

I stood up. "I've got to go," I told them. "Percy's probably waiting for me. Don't wait up, okay?" And without looking back, I quickly disappeared into the thick crowd of people.

...

Percy frowned. "You aren't serious?"

We were sitting on his couch. While I told Percy what happened with my dad and his former mistress, he just quietly listened, rubbing his hand gently on my arm while I talked.

I sighed. "She was all smiles, too, like she didn't even care that she'd ruined his marriage. She knew he was married. That day I saw them together he was wearing his wedding ring, which I don't understand at all."

Percy pressed his face into my hair. "That totally sucks, Annabeth."

"Big time," I agreed. His scent was really distracting. His hair was wet, which told me he'd just gotten out of the shower. He smelled clean.

"And of all places, she had to end up here?"

"It can't be a coincidence. She probably followed him here."

Percy looked thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe have her arrested for stalking?" he suggested. "That would get rid of her."

I shook my head at him, smiling. "You're evil."

"Hey, I just say whatever comes to mind."

Suddenly I remembered my conversation with Thalia this morning, about Percy leaving. A lump formed in my throat. Swallowing, I reached up and kissed him. I didn't think I would ever get used to this. Each time was like the first, and it felt like my stomach was full of butterflies.

Our kiss was broken when the sound of the baby crying in the next room pierced the air. Percy sighed. "The monster has awoken."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

What once had began so perfectly was starting to go so wrong.

As the months dragged by, Percy started to become more and more distant. When we were at work he seemed okay, probably because we were stuck together for eight hours, but our time together outside of work and school became shorter and shorter, texting less and less, until it stopped completely. I was so involved in my studies and college plans, as well as working I barely had time to sleep. I know once we graduated, Percy would be leaving to travel with his father to follow in his footsteps and set out to help better the world. I prayed every night that I got into a good school, as I was still hoping to become an Architect. My secret project lay in my desk drawer, untouched for several months. With everything going on, I never had a spare moment to peek at it.

I sighed, holding my head in my hands. Several applications for college were spread out in front of me, but I couldn't concentrate. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make my thoughts go away.

It's been several months now since Luke left. I never expected to hear from him, but I couldn't help but wonder where he was and if he was okay. If what he said was true, i hope he found someone who could help him. He was out there, fighting the beginning stages of a disease inherited by his mother all alone, while being hunted by drug dealers he owned money to.

I'll do this in the morning, I thought, shutting off my desk lamp. Sighing again, i fell into bed, marveling at the softness. I was asleep in a matter of minutes...

I _was standing in snow. Ankle deep, but I didn't feel cold at all. It was as if it weren't even there. Suddenly I heard screaming, and turned. As if in slow motion, I watched as a familiar Prius skidded and spun off the road before finally slamming into a tree._

 _My heart crawled into my throat. I opened my mouth in a scream, but no sound came out. I looked around for someone to help, but the streets were deserted. It was too quiet, and New York was never quiet. I turned back to the Prius, and nearly jumped three feet into the air. Percy was standing in front of me. Like, right in front of me. Close enough to embrace me._

 _He raised his hands. "Don't be afraid," he murmured. "I'm sorry, Annabeth. So sorry."_

 _What are you talking about, I tried to ask, but once again no sound came out._

I never got an answer.

Before Percy had the chance to speak again, I woke. Squinting my eyes at the blinding light peeking through my curtains, I glanced at my alarm clock. Seven-thirty. I lay there for a few more moments, contemplating going back to sleep before accepting defeat and pushing myself up into a sitting position.

I had to be at work in two hours, and working the same shift as Percy. While that once might have made my stomach flutter with happiness now filled me with dread, as it was only a constant reminder of his cold distance to me lately.

Well if that's how he wants to be, then fine. Just fine. I have my own life to live, it didn't revolve around him. While true, I still missed him terribly. I missed the way he'd smile just before he kissed me, and the way his hands naturally wrapped around my waist like they were meant to be there. I knew his distance was because of personal things he was dealing with, but...

It still hurt.

Lately it felt as if we weren't even a couple at all. Sometimes I wonder if we were. But despite how I felt, maybe patience would be my virtue.

I'd just have to not worry about it and leave things be. I could do that. I _would_ do that.

My thoughts still churned as I showered and readied for work. I would be applying to Yale, Harvard...but why do I have constant dreams of Percy...oh and a few colleges here in New York so maybe I could stay close to my friends and family...but I have dreams about him almost every night, what did it mean...oh colleges in California, like my brother Malcolm...I don't think I've ever had constant dreams about someone like I do him, it is seriously freaky...

I blinked, and found myself in my car. I must have been on autopilot while deep in thought. Being ADHD, things like that happened a lot.

When I got to the coffee shop, Callie was waiting with my apron. I went to the back to clock in and and found Percy holding a box of coffee. He heard me approaching, and turned. Today he was wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans. My stomach didn't just flutter, it did cartwheels.

We both smiled at each other. Before I could say a word, he put down the box and wrapped his arms around me. When he kissed me I sighed in defeat, my arms automatically wrapping around his neck. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't emotionally detach myself. He was just too damn loveable.

Doing this at work was extremely risky, but kind of exciting. I was always a good kid. I made good grades, kept my head down and didn't get into trouble. The fact that someone could walk in at any moment crossed my mind but I didn't care. Right now, I just really didn't care.

We broke part. He picked up his box, gave me a quick kiss on the forehead and left.

"This isn't fair," I whispered, smiling. Yes, I wasn't fooling myself at all, no matter what ridiculous excuse I made. I couldn't walk away now, not without breaking my own heart. He was a part of me, an annoying part maybe, but a big part just the same.

 **Chapter 12 coming soon, sorry for the long absence. This chapter kind of represents what I'm going through right now and I don't know really what to do...promise the story will proceed next chapter**


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